Published October 12, 2024
Poll-watchers always wonder what might be the “October Surprise” of any presidential election cycle. The pair of massive hurricanes that smashed into the southeast United States over the past week certainly qualify as surprises — and could shape the outcome of the tight race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Large-scale natural disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton attract public interest in ways that other types of news do not.
People who rarely follow politics pay attention to acts of God, empathizing with their victims while wondering how they might fare if such disasters had impacted them. People want — and need — to know that those requiring help are receiving it.
Which is why the government’s disaster response is the first thing that could shape voter opinions. Every story of aid not reaching disaster-stricken communities will be amplified in today’s 24/7/365 social media driven world. So the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA’s) response is critical.
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Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, studies and provides commentary on American politics. His work focuses on how America’s political order is being upended by populist challenges, from the left and the right. He also studies populism’s impact in other democracies in the developed world.